SoCraTes Day 2023

What is SoCraTes Day Berlin about?

The SoCraTes Day Berlin is a full-day OpenSpace unconference in the spirit of all the other Software Craft and Testing (SoCraTes) Unconferences and Days. It is meant for all craftspeople, be they aspiring or experienced. Being an OpenSpace means that there will be no conference schedule upfront. Instead, you, the participants, create the schedule on the morning of the conference.

  • Maybe show off your latest pet project you are excited about.
  • Or do you want to know how to learn about a particular topic?
  • Do you want to talk about your agile process or try out a new workshop format?
  • Or want to brew the perfect coffee with other coffee aficionados?

Bring your topics and we will take care of the rest! Whatever happens, is the only thing that could happen, and whoever comes is the right person for your session! It will be a full day of Software Craft and Testing goodness. Please check out the code of conduct and corona policy.

To reduce the number of drop-outs, we take a deposit of 10 Euro for each ticket that will be returned to you after you joined the event. If you can't join, please reach out via email and we will do our best to find another person to take your place so that we can return the deposit.

Tickets

Register interest

Event map

Additional Information

Lottery and Tickets

We're not charging for tickets except for a deposit of 10 Euros, which will be fully refunded if you show up at the event. We have a total of 60 tickets available and will run a first lottery draw on the 19th of February. We might run follow-up lottery draws if drawn participants drop out.

Over half of these tickets are reserved for international guests and for people of marginalized groups in tech. During the registration process, you can signal that you're part of either/both groups.

We trust that you know best if either/both applies to you, so we will not ask for further evidence.

Once the winners are drawn, you will then have 24 hours to make the deposit and claim your ticket, otherwise the next person will be drawn at random. We will put the date of the lottery here once it is decided.

Diversity Ticket (free with deposit)

We have an additional quota of tickets reserved for people of marginalized groups in technology.

This includes, but is not limited to women, LGBTQ+ and BIPoC.

Join the waiting list for this ticket if you feel you belong to such a group - we will neither ask you to provide evidence for that nor will it show up on e.g. your nametag.

Please note that with our limited capacity, this will only increase your chance of winning a ticket, not guarantee it.

Journeyperson (free with deposit)

If you arrive from outside of Berlin, we will add you to another lottery for people arriving from afar. If traveling to Berlin is easy for you, please consider people flying to Berlin or people who might need to make use of early-bird discounts for accommodation.

Journeyperson & Diversity Ticket (free with deposit)

Join this waiting list if you need to make travel arrangements soon and belong to a marginalized group in tech.

Corona Policy

We expect you to test yourself on the day of the event and to show a photo of the (negative) result during the registration.

We will also have a limited number of tests at the event and a special location (outside) for doing them.

Your ticket will be refunded fully in case you are corona positive.

Venue

The venue is accessible from the street without any steps or thresholds. There are two lifts taking people to the first floor (doors are 90cm wide). There is an accessible bathroom on the ground floor. Cars can be loaded and unloaded directly in front of the entrance.

All toilets are single stalls and will be open for all genders - the signs at the doors will inform about the facilities you find inside.

The location can be reached with public transport from the station S Ostkreuz (600m through Simplonstraße and then Revaler Straße). Parking spots for cars are generally sparse in the area, so we recommend to come by train and/or bicycle.

Code of Conduct

We are dedicated to creating a conference where everybody can learn, teach, share, network and have a good time.

And we need your help to achieve that. We expect you to behave according to our Code of Conduct - both at the conference and in all discussions around the conference (online and offline).

Please read our full code of conduct before buying a ticket, discussing online, and before coming to the conference. But please don't feel intimidated by it - these are simple rules, and they will make life better for everyone at the conference.

If someone tells you that they were harmed by what you said or did, stand back, believe them and take a moment to reflect. Even if you find yourself not understanding their reasoning, your best reply to that is taking a deep breath and just saying "sorry". That's the baseline of mindfulness and empathy we'd like to see at the conference.

Why do we have a CoC?

We are dedicated to creating a conference where everybody can learn, teach, share, network and have a good time. This can only work when we are inclusive to the largest number of contributors and when we create an environment where everybody feels safe and welcome.

CoC Violations

If you think someone has violated our code of conduct - even if you were not directly involved, like you just overheard a conversation - please:

  • Let the person know that what they did is not appropriate and ask them to stop.
  • Contact the organizers of SoCraTes Days Berlin.

Possible actions we will take include:

  • Give a warning
  • Have a longer talk about our values
  • Expel the perpetrator from the conference without a refund
  • Call the authorities

Safe Environment

We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religion (or lack of any of those).

And so we invite all those who participate in the SoCraTes Day Berlin and the community surrounding the conference to help us create safe and positive experiences for everyone. With your help, this conference can be a great experience for everyone!

  • Treat everyone professionally - Everybody at the conference is a professional in their field.
  • Treat all attendees as equals.
  • Ask before you teach.
  • Do not explain things without being asked - the person you are talking to right now might know more or different things about the topic than you!
  • Be welcoming, friendly, and patient.
  • Give people the benefit of doubt.
  • Ask questions before jumping to conclusions.
  • Be respectful.
  • Not all of us will agree with each other all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior and poor manners.
  • We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack.
  • Be aware of the effect your words may have on others.
  • We are a community of professionals, and we conduct ourselves professionally.
  • Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants.
  • Harassment and other exclusionary behavior aren't acceptable.
  • Be careful with jokes. We do not tolerate any CoC violations, even if “it was just a joke”.
  • Admit when you do not know something. Encourage others to admit when they do not know something - and never joke about it. We are all here to learn.

Unacceptable Behaviour

Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:

  • Harassment, and other exclusionary behavior.
  • Deliberate intimidation and threats.
  • Aggressive or sexualized language and content.
  • Unwanted sexual advances.
  • Insulting or putting down other participants.
  • Personal or political attacks.
  • Publishing or telling others that a participant belongs to a particular identity channel without asking for their consent first.
  • Well-actuallies: Telling people what they “actually meant to say”.
  • Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting.

Awareness Team

There will be an awareness team during the whole event that can be contacted at any time personally (they will be recognizable by their colorful hats) or via phone (the numbers will be visible in the event location). Any action of the team will be coordinated closely with the preferences and needs of the reporting person.

Need Help?

If you need help, have any further questions or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the conference staff immediately.

At the venue, the phone numbers of the organizers will be published so you can reach out to them easily.

Contact @SoCraTesDay_BER (send a direct message)

This CoC is heavily borrowed from SoCraTes Day Linz.

Schedule

Saturday

The SoCraTes Day Berlin is an OpenSpace, so most of the schedule will be defined together by the participants during the day.

The conference check-in will be open from 8:00am to 8:30 am and will not be available later during the day. The conference itself will then start at 8:30 with a short introduction to the format and the opening of the marketplace. Lunch will be between 12:30 and 13:30. We will close the conference by 17:30. We plan to get together in a restaurant afterward.

For the times inbetween, sessions will be organized by the participants, typically with a length of 1 hour. Sessions could be for example talks, coding dojos, discussion rounds, asking for others who can help you to learn a specific topic. They are not limited to any of these format, though. As this part of the day mostly depends on us all, it is hard to predict what will happen exactly.

Rooms with screens are available.

Food and Drinks

There will be free breakfast snacks and lunch. The food will be healthy and vegetarian. Please note additional dietary requirements and allergies in your registration form and we will either provide a full lunch for you or get in contact with you to find a solution. No alcohol will be allowed during the event until after the final retrospective. Informal and unofficial gatherings after the event might include alcoholic beverages.

Afterparty

You are welcome to join the get-together after the conference at Trattoria Libau (Libauer Str. 10, 10245 Berlin). We reserved a few tables for everyone who is hungry and wants to finish the day together in a chill restaurant. Please be there at 7pm, costs will not be covered by the conference.

Accommodation

We'll not have accommodations ready.

Who We Are

We are a group of software crafting enthusiasts, who believe that proper crafting is the only way to maintain a constant pace of development. Since the necessary values, principles and practices are neither taught at universities nor at vocational trainings, we volunteer to organize the SoCraTes Day to allow the community to fill that gap.

We are:

  • Ani Hayka (she/her)
  • Benjamin Großmann (he/him)
  • Daniel Bartholomae (he/him)
  • Egga Hartung (she/her)
  • Laura Wetterwachs (she/her)
  • Markus Decke (he/him)
  • Vera Peuntinger (she/her)